No ceasefire in Lebanon: Israel continues to attack

Israel’s army reacted that night: “On the instructions of the political leadership, we have ceased fire in the fight against Iran.” Not so in Lebanon. Air strikes and ground fighting against the Shiite militia Hezbollah are expected to continue there. A house in the Shiite stronghold of Dachiye in Beirut was bombed on Wednesday morning. Israel’s army, but also the Lebanese government warned the civilians who had fled the combat zone in the south against returning too early.

Hezbollah also wants to attack again

Accepting the ceasefire in Tehran, Hezbollah also stopped its attacks on Israel’s northern population on Wednesday morning. However, with a warning after new Israeli attacks: If these continue, Hezbollah will also want to attack again.

For Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharifwhich brokered the ceasefire, the ceasefire agreement also includes Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke out on Wednesday in favor of including Lebanon “fully” in the agreement.

Israel’s government did not make an official statement on the holiday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu only briefly welcomed US President Donald Trump’s decision. However, he combined this with the express reference that the fight against Hezbollah would not be affected. The new situation remains unclear. Netanyahu has his problems with her. Even on the holiday, the opposition portrayed him as a failure. They spoke of one “diplomatic disaster” and “strategic damage” that will take years to repair.

Israel’s election year

It would be extremely inconvenient for Netanyahu to stop fighting against Hezbollah in an election year. He had already declared the Hezbollah terrorists defeated “for generations” in 2024. But the last weeks of the war in particular showed that their military and political strength in Lebanon is severely damaged but unbroken. Netanyahu has many reasons not to call off the war against Hezbollah. In contrast to the army: It is already in its third year fighting on several fronts. Quite a few soldiers have already been taken away from civilian life for over 400 days through reserve service.

Mayors hope for normalization

Like the walkers on the beach, the mayors are now hoping to be able to reopen schools immediately. But the army and civil defense remain cautious. It’s not even clear when negotiations will begin. Not to mention the ending.